Council to replace half its bin lorries with electric vehicles

Manchester City Council has agreed to replace half its diesel bin lorries with new electric vehicles.

Biffa - which holds the contract for waste collection and street cleaning in the city - has placed an order for 27 new electric refuse collection vehicles (e-RCVs).

The switch to electric eRCVs will save around 900 tonnes of carbon emissions a year, cutting around 4% of the council's current direct annual emissions.

Cllr Angeliki Stogia, the council's executive member for environment, said: 'This major investment in new electric bin lorries is a great example of the council's commitment to playing its full part in tackling climate change and will also contribute to better air quality.

'We've seen during the coronavirus lockdown how less pollution and better air quality benefits everyone. Climate change is an urgent challenge which we are getting on with addressing.'